How to Navigate Middle School

December 1, 2022
A guide for the heavy seas of middle school. In this fourth volume in the Kid Confident series, a psychologist and an educational therapist team up to offer a manual for the middle school educational voyage. Chapter by chapter, they address readers directly, leading them through concepts like mindset, perseverance, motivation, learning styles and strategies, and practical issues like finding one's way around a new and larger campus, planning and organizing, and managing stress. As in previous books in the series, five middle school students provide examples. These young people are portrayed as diverse in gender (one uses they/them pronouns) and ethnic background, as well as in their habits, skills, interests, and reactions to typical middle school situations. Their stories go a long way toward making this advice seem relevant. Practical information, anecdotes, and helpful tips are presented in bite-sized chunks, interspersed with playful cartoons, charts and drawings, quizzes, exercises to try, and toolboxes full of strategies. The emphasis on and repetition of important ideas make this volume an effective learning tool. Step by step, the writers lead readers to the idea of metacognition--thinking about the way they think and then acting on their self-understanding to become effective self-advocates. The backmatter includes many helpful resources. Because the series has already addressed social issues, this title has a tighter focus than many similar guides. Useful for both the intended readers and the adults in their lives. (bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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February 1, 2023

Gr 5-7-For the student with burning questions on what middle school will really be like, or nervous about more homework, locker combinations, extracurricular activities, and different teachers and peers, this text offers coping tips on those topics and many others. Written by a psychologist and a therapist, this book gives advice on time management, motivation, stress management, self-advocacy, and more. The authors introduce readers to a group of five diverse fictional children from different backgrounds with different learning styles. Each character has a small profile to make them relatable to readers. Each chapter features this sample of middle school peers in common situations, what each would do, and what they could do to better themselves. Most chapters also include fun quizzes to determine what type of learner the reader may be, as well as useful tips. The authors are adept at explaining concepts and strategies for self-care and mindfulness in an understandable manner. Important topics are printed in a larger font and bolded. Illustrations are scarce but simple, fun, and used with great impact. Extra resources, including book recommendations, online resources, and apps, are listed in the back matter. VERDICT A useful addition to collections for middle schoolers and their caregivers, especially where the other "Kid Confident" books are popular.-Kristin J. Anderson

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